The 2018 Wimbledon Championships is scheduled to begin on 2 July with a number of players hoping to secure the third major of the season. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have won the other two Grand Slam tournaments during 2018 in a season of mixed form and injury amongst the best male tennis players on the planet. Grigor Dimitrov has taken advantage of this situation and leads a whole host of players eager to prove they can mix with the very best. Things didn’t end as well as they could have at Queen’s but can Dimitrov take that final leap and secure a first career Grand Slam at SW19?

The Wimbledon Championships is the pinnacle of the grass season. Tennis fans from around the world flock to SW19 to catch a glimpse of the world’s best players against the backdrop of strawberries, cream and the guaranteed British rain showers. It is the third Grand Slam in a season which has seen mixed success for the big four of men’s tennis. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have won a major each but Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have struggled with injuries.

Djokovic himself has fought back in recent weeks and very nearly returned to form at the other London grass tennis tournament. The Serbian lost the final of the Queen’s Club Championship last weekend to Marin Čilić, a tournament which has so often been the pre-cursor to Wimbledon. In fact, five men’s singles players have followed up the victory in Queen’s with a title at Wimbledon just a few weeks later.

The Queen’s Club Championships was certainly an interesting tournament this year. Top stars like Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were both returning from lengthy injuries and chasing players like Nick Kyrgios put in impressive performances. Grigor Dimitrov was the number two seed for the Championships and got off to a good start. However, the Bulgarian’s tournament came undone in the second round when he came up against a resurgent Novak Djokovic who won 6-4 6-1 on his way to the final.

“This was a great test playing against one of the top players of the world, a player that I guess prefers this surface the most,” Djokovic said after the match.

“I was very determined to play my best, especially after a great performance in the first round and managed to deliver.

“I broke the resistance in that 10th game of the first set. He made a couple of crucial double faults that obviously allowed me to get ahead, but I thought I was just making him play always in big moments and served well when I needed to.”

Dimitrov conceded too many faults and his return numbers were not up to usual standards against a player who looks to be returning to top form. But that could work to his favour moving forward. Dimitrov was unfortunate not to win that first set which certainly would’ve changed the way the match went against Djokovic. The Bulgarian can learn a lot from the match especially ahead of Wimbledon where he will be hoping to pick up the first Grand Slam title of his career.

Dimitrov will certainly face stiff competition for the crown. As previously discussed, both Djokovic and Murray can take some confidence from their performances at Queen’s while players like Nadal, Kyrgios, Marin Čilić and youngster Alexander Zverev are all in the mix too. Roger Federer is still the man to beat. According to Betway, he is the clear 13/8 favourite as of 26 June to lift the title for a record ninth time. Dimitrov, meanwhile, is in the top ten contenders at 22/1.

So far, Grigor Dimitrov’s best performance at Wimbledon was a semi-final appearance back in 2014. He lost to Novak Djokovic that year and has since failed to make it past the fourth round in the last three tournaments. But Dimitrov’s performances in Grand Slams are certainly improving. He has reached the quarters in both of his last two Australian Open appearances as well as his joint-best run in the French Open back in May. He will be hoping for steady improvement and to take advantage of what is a relatively open field in men’s singles tennis right now.

But it promises to be a tough test for the Bulgarian number one. The likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the major frontrunners for the third Grand Slam of the season. Even chasing players like Nick Kyrgios and Marin Čilić after his Queen’s Club Championship win will have high hopes at SW19. Grigor Dimitrov’s performances in Grand Slams have steadily improved in recent years and he will be hoping that continues in the first two weeks of July. A second Wimbledon semi-final appearance would be some achievement in this highly competitive field but who knows what will happen when there are so many players capable of causing an upset?

Grigor Dimitrov beat Damir Dzumhur 6-3 6-7 6-3 to progress to the second round of the Queen’s Club Championships in London. The Bulgarian played out the first three-set match of the championships thus far and overcame a second-set resurgence from his Bosnian opponent.

The build-up: What were we expecting?
This was always going to be a tough match for Grigor Dimitrov. Damir Dzumhur was one of the toughest first round opponents he could have come up against as the Bulgarian looked for the perfect start in his quest to win a second title at Queen’s Club. It was the third meeting between the two men in singles matches with Dimitrov winning both matches, the latter of which was in Beijing last year.

Queen’s is always seen as something of a warm-up to the Wimbledon Championships. The season’s third grand slam will take place next month and the best way to prepare for a grass tournament in London is another grass tournament in London. Dimitrov is currently eighth-favourite to secure his first career grand slam next month at 18/1 according to the latest 10Bet odds.

Dimitrov made his first Queen’s appearance back in 2009 and already has his name on the trophy. He beat Feliciano López in the final to secure the title back in 2014 and was looking for a solid performance after some inconsistencies in recent years. Dimitrov reached the semi-finals last year but failed to make it past the second round in the two prior tournaments. It was Damir Dzumhur’s first appearance at Queen’s.

“I actually have a special relationship with grass and our time is out there and you try to get the most out of it,” Dimitrov said before the match.

“The transition from clay to grass I need to be ready for. There is so much going on but in the same time the basics of that surface, I don’t want to say I’ve mastered them, but I know those things.

“I need to make the right decisions out on the court and follow my game and instinct.”

The Match
The number-two seed Grigor Dimitrov started the match well. He really took the match to his opponent and took a commanding lead. The first set was a breeze as Dimitrov controlled the match and played on the front foot. He raced into a commanding lead and stayed there, taking the first set 6-3.

In the second, things changed. Damir Dzumhur started to show his quality as the match became a groundstroke battle. Neither player could hold serve and Dimitrov appeared to lose a little confidence. Still, the Bulgarian battled on and took it to a tie-break which is opponent came out on top in.

In the third and final set of this first round match, the old Dimitrov returned. He looked more confident and started hitting the ball cleanly. He produced a number of fantastic winners which his opponent simply couldn’t deal with as Dimitrov took the third set 6-3 to progress to the next round.

The Aftermath: What comes next?
“I was a bit rusty obviously and need to brush up on a few things and come back and get a bit better,” Dimitrov said on court after the match.

“I just want to play as many matches as possible on grass. It's a tough field here and you have to be on the edge every single round.”

He progresses to the next round of the Queen’s Championships where he will come up against former world number 1 Novak Djokovic in the second round. The man who has won eleven career grand slam titles is unseeded at Queen’s but got past John Millman in straight sets to reach round 2.

This was always a probability when the draw was made but Dimitrov played down the blockbuster nature of this second round clash.

“Every round matters a lot here it is as simple as that,” he said on Sunday.

“Obviously, some of the players are unseeded and they have had a great success over the years. But at the same time, it is time to play, it is time to step up the game and if I have to play whoever in the early rounds I’m out there to make a difference.

“I like to say that a lot of things in life are about timing and maybe this is the time for me to get to the next step. I need to do well against those kinds of players early on to succeed.”

It promises to be a fascinating second round clash as Grigor Dimitrov prepares to take on Novak Djokovic. The Bulgarian number one performed well in the first and third sets of his match against Damir Dzumhur but will need to improve his consistency if he is to come out on top against Djokovic. Dimitrov has a history at the Queen’s Club Championship but he will have to look forward if he is to reach the third round this year.

The Dubai Duty Free Championships were going incredibly well for Grigor Dimitrov this year, but it all came crumbling down after his shock defeat by Malek Jaziri. While Dimitrov might be doing much better for himself lately with his recent five-set win against Jared Donaldson at Roland Garros, the painful loss in Dubai is still a bitter memory in fan’s minds and many are finding themselves asking what went wrong?That’s what we’re here to explore in more detail. Below, we’re taking a look at that fateful match and just what had Dimitrov practically giving away points.

The Build Up: What Were We Expecting?

The Dubai Championships were about to get underway and fans were waiting eagerly for the match announcements – and the nit happened. The first round match pairings became public knowledge, and Grigor Dimitrov was a seed 1 player destined to face off against the No. 117ATP-ranked Malek Jaziri. There seemed to be no chance of Dimitrov losing, with fans and bookies alike having him down as a sure win with talk of his second round opponents already surfacing.

This season would be the second time that Dimitrov graced the Dubai stage, though the first time he lose to Richard Guasquet, so speculation was rife as to whether he could break the chain before it even happened. Expectations were high, the bets were rolling in and fans were eagerly awaiting those first matches. Now, we have to remember that Dimitrov was sitting pretty at No. 4, mingling with top players in the men’s game like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, so the outlook was pretty good for the Bulgarian player – until the game started.

The Match

The first set of the match went how most had expected it would – Dimitrov claimed victory in this opening set and things were looking up already. As you might expect, however, this didn’t last.
In fact, what followed was a match filled with back and forth and no clear winner, but through hard work and determination, it was Jaziri that eventually won out with 4-6 7-5 6-4. As heartbreaking as it was to see Dimitrov walk away so early on in the competition, the game was one worth a watch. The nail-biting experience had fans on the edges of their seats,with no advantages on either side that provided easy wins. It was frustrating,it was exciting, it was thrilling and all in all, it was an incredible game to watch.

However, Dimitrov failed to win and given his world ranking, the question had to be asked as to why the 34-year-old managed to win against the experienced Bulgarian.

So,What Went Wrong?

These questions have gone mostly unanswered until now, not least because there simply wasn’t any single, straight answer that could be given. Talks of Dimitrov’s previous illness and Jaziri’s previous success in Dubai had all been considered as reasons, and could very well the cause of Dimitrov’s loss.
In early 2018, Grigor Dimitrov found himself having fallen ill with an unknown virus that had been affecting his ability to play. After a loss against Roger Federer, which hadn’t been the first time, even he acknowledged Dimitrov’s illness, claiming that “[he] was expecting it to be tough. [He] expected to be in trouble to be quite honest.” While he seemed to be recovering by the time the Dubai Championships came around, he was seen coughing after the match against Jaziri, which could’ve very well explained a less-than-perfect performance. Further than that, Dimitrov still doesn’t appear to be at his best with his health, which could point to an underlying issue that could be affecting his overall play.

Then, of course, we have Jaziri’s success on the Dubai court. Jaziri has made no secret of the fact that feels comfortable playing in Dubai, and with his history of playing top-ranking players on those very same courts, he’d been building up experience with some of the world’s greatest. What’s more, his quarter-final best in the Dubai Duty Free Championships in 2014 is plenty proof that the Tunisian player certainly has some tricks up his sleeve when it comes to playing against top-seeders.

Tennis can be a highly competitive sport at the best of times, but when those looking to fight their way up the rankings are put alongside leading players, fans are practically guaranteed an enthusiastic match. Dimitrov’s loss to Jaziri was a devastating one for his fans considering he’s certainly got a much better track record, but the Tunisian player certainly deserves congratulations. With time to rest and recover in the way of health and time to get back out on the courts and regain his momentum, Dimitrov could be back on his feet in no time.

Grigor Dimitrov beat No 57 American Jared Donaldson in 4 hours and 20 minutes five-set match 6-7(2) 6-4 4-6 6-4 10-8. This was Grigor's 50th win at Grand Slam tournaments. Dimitrov advanced to the third round of Roland Garros for the 3rd time in his career. The 4th seeded Bulgarian will have the chance to pass to the 4th round in a match against No 35 Fernando Verdasco of Spain.

“It's great to win a match in five sets. I think it stays with you, you keep it, and especially on clay and out here at [Roland Garros]... It was one of those matches that I didn't play my best, but I managed a way to win. And when one thing wasn't going well, the physical part was great,” Dimitrov said.

Grigor Dimitrov was to play the Serbian Victor Troicki in the first round of Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Only one hour before the match it was announced that Troicki withdrew due to injury and the lucky loser Mohamed Safwat of Egypt took is his place. Grigor Dimitrov needed a bit more than two hours to beat the Egyptian three sets 6-1 6-4 7-6(1).

“We spent a bit of time [together] when we played juniors,” revealed Dimitrov. “I [have] known him for quite some time. He's a great guy.”

The 4th seeded Grigor Dimitrov hit 31 winners and won 88 per cent of his first serve points.

This was Dimitrov's 49th Grand Slam tournament win (49 - 30 win/loss ratio). Roland Garros is the least successful tournament of the 4 Grands Slams as Dimitrov has only 6 wins here. The rest of the wins are at Australian Open - 20, Wimbledon - 15 and US Open - 8.

In the second round of Roland Garros on Wednesday Grigor Dimitrov will play 57th ranked Jared Donaldson of the USA.

Grigor Dimitrov lost to Fernando Verdasco of Spain in the second round of BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells 6-7(4) 6-4 3-6. This is the 3rd consecutive loss of the Bulgarian after defeats in the final in Rotterdam to Roger Federer and in the first round to Malek Jaziri in Dubai.

Grigor Dimitrov will play next at Miami Open starting from 19 March.

Grigor Dimitrov is the top ranked player and seed 1 of the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai from 26 February 2018. In the first round the Bulgarian will play Malek Jaziri of Tunisia, No 116, who enters the main draw of the tournament with wild card. Dimitrov and the 34-years-old Tunisian have not played any matches so far.

Potential second round opponents of Dimitrov are Robin Haase and Paolo Lorenzi. The first seeded player who Dimitrov could meet is the German Philipp Kohlscreiber, No 35. The other seeded players in Dimitrov's half of the draw are Roberto Bautista-Agut and Richard Guasquet. The second best-ranked player and leader of the second half of the draw is the Frenchman Lucas Pouille.

This will the second participation of Grigor to Dubai Duty Free Championships. The Bulgarian played in the qualifications in 2011 to reach the main draw where he lost in the first round to Richard Guasquet.

After skipping the home tournament Sofia Open Grigor Dimitrov will take part at the ATP 500 tournament in Rotterdam during the week of 12 February. The Bulgarian is seed 2 and leads the lower half of the main draw. In the first round Dimitrov will play No 41 Japanese Yuichi Sugita. The first seeded player Grigor Dimitrov could face is the Frenchman Lucas Pouille, Seed 7, No 17. The other seeded players in Grigor's half of the draw are David Goffin and Tomas Berdych. The seeded participants in the first half of the draw are Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev, Stan Wawrinka and Gilles Muller.

Last year Grigor Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals in Rotterdam where he lost to David Goffin.

Grigor Dimitrov will not defend his title of last year at Sofia Open ATP 250 tournament next week. The best Bulgarian tennis player announced in a press release to the media that he will skip the tournament.

"I and my team had to take one of the most difficult decisions: to skip this year's edition of the tournament in Sofia. Earlier today I had my last med consultation. Unfortunately I will not be at 100% ready for the next week. If I play it would lead to additional risks and complications. I will miss the Bulgarian spectators and that incredible week I had last year. I would like to thank to Sofia Open for their patience and efforts to organize a tournament of ATP level in Bulgaria. Thank you all for the support" Grigor Dimitrov wrote.

Grigor Dimitrov ended the hopes of the Australians for home champion in 42 years with win over Nick Kyrgios in the fourth round of Australian Open. Third seed Grigor Dimitrov won in the night session at Rod Laver Arena 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-6 (7-4).

"Playing against Nick is always tricky, two weeks ago I lost against him. He was serving unbelievably, playing unbelievably," said Dimitrov. "He fought really hard and it's one of those matches you have to take any opportunity you have. Even serving for the match I felt it wasn't over. I am just glad to get through that match."

On Tuesday Grigor Dimitrov will play the Brit Kyle Edmund in the quarterfinals. Grigor defeated Edmund two weeks ago in Brisbane.